Commercial gaming companies go “All In for Giving & Volunteering”

WASHINGTON, D.C. (PRESS RELEASE) -- As a part of the “All In for Giving & Volunteering” campaign, the American Gaming Association (AGA) today released a paper, titled “An Industry of Giving: Charitable Contributions and Volunteering in the Commercial Gaming Industry,” quantifying the substantial philanthropic contributions made by the commercial gaming industry. The paper was released to coincide with National Volunteer Week (April 15-21), during which gaming companies nationwide will recognize outstanding employee volunteers and take part in community service activities.

The survey is the first of its kind, and the results offer new insight into the charitable giving and corporate volunteer programs of more than half of the AGA membership. Fourteen companies responded to the survey, and while the report captures only a portion of the industry’s philanthropic work, it provides a valuable snapshot of activity among a significant segment of the commercial gaming sector. An infographic illustrating this data was also released.

“This survey conclusively demonstrates that gaming companies and their employees are making substantial philanthropic contributions to the communities where they operate and live,” said Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr., president and CEO of the AGA. “Their contributions have become part of the fabric of gaming communities across the nation, making a positive difference in tens of thousands of lives.”

Specifically, the survey found that responding companies donated $111.18 million in cash to charitable causes in the past year. (Note: “past year” is defined as 2011 or the company’s most recent 12-month reporting period available, such as a fiscal year.) These companies also donated $6.9 million raised by industry employees and $4.18 million in corporate and individual in-kind giving. Moreover, companies that responded to the survey donated $9.54 million through affiliated charitable foundations and trusts.

The paper also provides information on respondent company volunteer programs, revealing that 14,617 gaming industry employees – 9 percent of the total workforce – participated in 1,126 company-organized volunteer projects, contributing a total of 66,135 hours to nonprofit organizations and charities during the past year. The cash value of these volunteer hours is $1,322,700 when placing the market value at $20 per hour performed, an industry standard when calculating such a value.

When all forms of charitable giving and the cash equivalent of volunteer service hours are combined, the surveyed segment of the commercial gaming industry contributed $133,126,598 during the past year.

Additionally, the paper includes the results of a public opinion poll on the value of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and data regarding community leaders’ perception of the gaming industry’s CSR impact.

In honor of National Volunteer Week and the “All In for Giving & Volunteering” campaign, gaming companies across the nation nominated outstanding employee volunteers as “Employee Volunteer All Stars.” Interviews with the selected volunteers, as well as a full copy of the research report and infographic, are available on the AGA website at www.americangaming.org/philanthropy.

In addition to recognizing outstanding employee volunteers, gaming employees will join together in an industrywide effort to participate in community service projects across the country. Sample projects and activities include:

· Isle of Capri Casinos Inc. will host volunteer events at each of its properties. Events include assisting with a highway clean-up in Missouri, attending a Boys & Girls Club fundraiser in Iowa and cleaning up a historic cemetery in Mississippi.

· Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada is hosting different volunteer activities each day of the week, including volunteering with the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth, assisting school-aged children with arts and crafts projects at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Nevada and serving meals to the hungry at the Las Vegas Rescue Mission.

· Ameristar Casinos Inc. employees will join in volunteer activities varying from packing diaper bags in Las Vegas as part of the United Way’s Baby’s Bounty program, a river clean-up in St. Charles, Mo. and helping the non-profit organization Bridging the Gap pick up trash in Kansas City, Mo.

· MGM Resorts International is hosting its fourth annual MGM Resorts Foundation Festival on Saturday, April 21. The day-long fundraising event is the largest component of the MGM Resorts Foundation’s annual fundraising campaign and features a one-mile walk or 5K run, an executive relay, booths with activities for kids of all ages and raffle prize drawings.

· WMS Gaming Inc. employees will prepare and serve lunch at the Ronald McDonald House in Chicago, perform yard work and landscaping at De L’Eppee Deaf Center in Gulfport, Miss. and help Habitat for Humanity build a house in Las Vegas, among many other projects.

The AGA’s Washington, D.C. staff also will lend a hand during National Volunteer Week by participating in the 4th Annual Rock Creek Park Extreme Clean-Up to beautify the more than 1,700-acre park.

“All In for Giving & Volunteering” is a part of the larger “All In” campaign. This year-long, sustained and themed effort will showcase and quantify the CSR contributions of the commercial gaming industry. The initiative focuses on industry successes relating to four areas of CSR: philanthropy, environmental sustainability, responsible gaming and diversity. The “All In” campaign highlights the significant role the industry – as well as individual companies and employees – plays in bettering communities and the environment.